DOE Sends Annual IDEA Report to Congress

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012 at
8:31 AM

Last month the United States Department of Education sent its annual report on the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act to Congress. Because of the slow movement in all things government, the report is for 2008 and most of the data is for the 2005-2006 school year. Nothin’ like staying current.

The report contains a wealth of information. Here are some examples:

Among the key findings were:

In 2006, a total of 6,081,890 students ages 6 through 21 were served under IDEA, Part B. Of
these students, 5,986,644 were served in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Bureau of
Indian Education schools. This number represented 9.1 percent of the general population ages
6 through 21

In 2006, the largest disability category among students ages 6 through 21 served under IDEA,
Part B, was specific learning disabilities (44.6 percent). The next most common disability
category was speech or language impairments (19.1 percent), followed by other health
impairments (9.9 percent), intellectual disabilities (8.6 percent) and emotional disturbance
(7.5 percent)

In 2005, 88.4 percent of full-time equivalent personnel (other than special education
teachers) who provided special education and related services for children and students ages
3 through 21 served under IDEA, Part B, were fully certified

Children and students ages 3 through 21 who were served under IDEA, Part B, under the
category of emotional disturbance had the highest rates of removal to an interim alternative
educational setting by school personnel for drug or weapon offenses (0.49 percent) and by a
hearing officer for likely injury to themselves or others (0.08 percent) in school year 2005–06, compared to children and students in all other disability categories

Other items that caught my imagination were the following: In 2006, North Dakota served 68.9% of students classified as emotional disturbance inside the regular ed class more than 80% of the time whereas Hawaii served 19.8% of students classified as emotional disturbance inside the regular ed class more than 80% of the time. (Table 33). In the same year Alabama served 7.6% of students classified as emotional disturbance in a residential facility whereas Arizona served 0.3% of students classified as emotional disturbance in a residential facility. (Table 33) In school year 2005-2006, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin 57.7% of special ed students aged 3-21 graduated with a regular diploma whereas in the same school year in Louisiana 14.0%. (Table 36) For the 2005-2006 school year the percentage of special ed kids aged 3-21 expelled or suspended for more ten or more days in the school year was 2.81% in North Carolina and 0.04% in California, (Table 39) I could go on!

You can look up these and similar statistics for your state in the report. Also the report contains a summary of research and evaluation conducted under IDEA provisions.